BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Communication is a phenomenon that tends to be trivialized or taken for granted because everyone communicates in one way or the other all the time, but communication is not just talking or writing or gesticulating, it is much more than that. Inter-personal communication is one of the fundamental underpinnings of society. As population grows and technology evolves accordingly, so have channels of communication changed and the world is “getting smaller” or becoming a “global village”, this is not referring only to the ease of travelling but more so to the ease of communication around the globe. Unfortunately, however, just because communication is “easy” to accomplish does not mean that it is done, or that the result is an increase in understanding.

The effectiveness of communication is very central to the stability, well being, peace, progress and performance of organisation. The organization depend on effective communication to perform all their functions including planning, directing, controlling, decision making and the execution of decisions and goals.

Thus, leadership, management, operations and performance cannot take place or be achieved without communication between persons and units. Most interactions, mutual understanding and interpersonal relations take place vide communication. (Akanni, J.A. 1987:261)

The effectiveness, openness and level of communication determines largely the level of morale, job satisfaction and motivation of staff. Where communication problem exist, there would be gaps and black out about the activities problems, needs and expectations of employees and management. Thus, the task of group and organisational co-ordination and operations would be made difficult without a system of effective communication.

Organizations and people are linked together by communication and they are so co-ordinated and directed to achieve purposes. Effectiveness in purpose, execution of plans and the mobilization towards goals and plan achievement, are done through communication.

Communication is therefore very important to the management of organizations.

Communication is as old as the existence of man, since no one can exist without interaction with one another in different ways at close or distant ranges. In the opinion of Chapel and Reed (1984), communication is any means by which a thought is transferred from one person to another. Udall (1979) see communication as the process by which one person or a group of persons share and give information.

This view summarizes the concepts of communication as a process of giving and receiving information through previously familiar signs or symbols. It involves a transfer of opinion, attitude, beliefs, ideas, thoughts and feelings from one person or group of persons to another. In early days, it is almost the same as the use of communication in the present modern world of technology. However, they seen to be difference in methods and application in the business world.

The demand for easy communication became very high because the need to be communicated with concerning business policies and dealing became very important.

Communication has proven to be a necessary key to understanding today’s complex society. Communication in the office has been described as a medium or channel concerned with creation, transmission, interaction and the use of information to achieve desired goals and objectives in any organisation.

The role of effective communication in assisting administrators to carry out their numerous tasks cannot be over emphasized. These tasks or challenges cannot be accomplished without an adequate and effective communication system put in place in the organisation.

Moreover, Chester Barnard (1938), in his classic work entitled “The function of the executive observed that goals became known and useful only when they are communicated. So communication permits people to organize and co-ordinate their diverse activities to accomplish common organisational goals.

This research study will, therefore shed more light on the concepts of communication generally, and in administration in particular by examining the central role of communication, types of communication, the barriers and strategies for effective communication in some selected organisation.